Saturday, September 17, 2005

The festival announced awards for the festival. The People's Choice Award went to Tsotsi, from Gavin Hood, about a gang member in South Africa who finds a baby in a car he has just carjacked. This year, rather than voting for only one film for People's Choice, people were asked to rate each film on a scale from 1 to 5, 5 being best.

The Discovery Award, voted on by the international press, went to Look Both Ways, from Sarah Watt. The film follows three characters handling various crises in their lives after a train wreck.

The FIPRESCI (the International Federation of Film Critics) Prize went to Sa-kwa, from Kang Yi-kwan. In the movie, a woman impulsively jumps into a relationship after being dumped by her fiancé. The prize is awarded by a jury consisting of three film critics.

The Citytv Award for Best Canadian First Feature went to Familia, from Louise Archambault, and The Life and Hard Times of Guy Terrifico, by Michael Mabbott. Familia is about two women and their daughters. The Life and Hard Times of Guy Terrifico is a faux documentary about a fictional country music star, but features actual music legends talking about the titular character. The award is voted on by a jury.

The Toronto - City Award for Best Canadian Feature Film went to C.R.A.Z.Y. from Jean-Marc Vallée. The film follows a family in 70's Montreal. The award is voted on by a jury.

The previous two awards were both voted on by a jury, including director and producer Ron Mann (Go Further).

The Bravo!FACT Short Cuts Canada Award went to Big Girl, by Renuka Jeyapalan. The short is about the struggle between a young girl and her mother's boyfriend for her mother's attention. The award is voted on by a jury, which included Rachel McAdams (The Wedding Crashers, Red-Eye), and director Rob Stefaniuk (Phil the Alien).